Showerhead for shower bath use



June 5, 1956 J. FRASER 2,749,183

SHOWERHEAD FOR SHOWER BATH USE Filed June 21, 1954 Q r I l Bl 5 I Q 7 BiL 5 9 k B J 4 ,3

5 s .2 7 "12' d H INVENTOR.

JAMES 5. FRASER ATTORNEY United States Patent SHOWERHEAD FOR SHOWER BATHUSE Application June 21, 1954, Serial No. 437,990

4'Claims. (Cl. 299-141) The general object of the present invention isto pro vide an improved and simplified shower or spray head for showerbath use, of the type disclosed in my prior Patent 1,849,517, grantedMarch 15, 1932.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a showerheadhaving operative characteristics similar to those of the showerhead ofmy above mentioned patent, but which is more compact, and of simpler andless expensive construction than the showerhead disclosed in said priorpatent.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,however, its advantages, and specific objects attained with its use,reference should be had to theaccompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which I have illustrated and described preferred embodimentsof the invention. Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a desirable form of the A In Fig. l Ihave illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present inventioncomprising three main elements, A, B and C. The element A is ashowerhead shell or body of conventional type. The body A is ofconventional bell shape and has an externally threaded upper end portion1 adapted for conventional use in connecting the showerhead to a supplypipe through a ball joint connection. As shown, the lower end of themember A is enlarged to enclose a discharge chamber 2 having acylindrical outer wall 3. The upper portion of the shell A surrounds acentral passage or chamber 4 coaxial with, but substantially smaller indiameter than the chamber 2. Intermediate the adjacent ends of thechambers 2 and 4, the member A is formed with a wall portion 5 which isinternally threaded and somewhat smaller in diameter than the wallsurrounding the chamber 4.

The element B comprises a hollow stem portion 6 which is externallythreaded for engagement with the internally threaded portion 5 of theelement A. The portion 6 is integrally connected by an adjacent portion7 of the member B to an annular disc portion 8. The peripheral outeredge portion 9 of the disc 8 is tapered and has its larger lower edgediameter nearly equal to the inner diameter of the wall 3 of the memberA. As shown, the outer edge 9 of the disc 8 is formed with longitudinalgrooves in the general manner illustrated in my prior Patent 1,849,517.The member B is formed with a central upper passage 10 and a lowercentral passage or chamber 11. The latter is internally threaded and isappreciably larger in its internal diameter than the passage 10.

As shown, the member C comprises a cylindrical body 12 which includes anenlarged, externally threaded portion 13 which may be, and as shown, isan integral portion of the member 12. The portion 13 is externallythreaded for engagement with the threads of the internally threaded wall11 of the member B. The body 12 is adapted to extend into the upperpassage 10 of the member B for a variable distance and has a diameterwhich may well be only 0.003 or 0.004 inch less than the diameter of thepassage 10. The member 12 is formed with a kerf 14 for engagement by ascrew driver or analogous device which may be employed to rotate themember 12 and thereby regulate the extent to which the upper end of themember 12 extends into the passage 10. As the member 12 is moved up intothe passage 10, it restricts the flow of water into the chamber 2through the passage 10. In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, water isordinarily supplied to the showerhead by a valve control pipe throughwhich water under pressure is passed into the central passage 4. in Fig.1, water passes from the passage 4 into the passage'iti through aplurality, four as shown, radial inlets 15, and passes out of thepassage 10 and into the chamber '2 through a similar plurality of radialoutlets 16. The

etrective flow capacity of the passages 16 may be decreased andincreased by moving the element 12 up and down in the lower end portionof the passage 10.

In Fig. 1, the member B is shown in its most elevated position'relativeto the member A. The member B may be rotated to lower it relative to thebody A. As shown, the outer side of the disc 8 has projections 17through which the disc 8 may be rotated. Such rotation of the disc 8relative to the member A efiects an axial adjustment of the disc 8 as aresult of the threaded connection between the parts 5 and 6. The purposeand etlect of such adjustment of the disc 8 is a regulation of thevolume rate at which'water is passed through the space between theperipheral wall of the disc 8 and the wall 3. The axial adjustment ofthe disc 8 tends to modify the water pressure in the chamber 2, but hasno direct eflect on the rate at which water can pass through the passage10. That rate is regulated by the vertical adjustment of the element 12.

In Fig. l, the upper end of the passage 10 is closed by a disc 19 and ascrew 18 by which said disc is detachably secured to the member 6 by thescrew 18 which has its threaded portion received in an internallythreaded opening in the end wall of the chamber or passage 10. The disc19 is formed with a central aperture through which the threaded portionof the member 18 extends. The disc 19 has a radial extent greater thanthat of the externally threaded portion of the wall 6, and thus preventsmovement of the member B out of engagement with the member A, unless thescrew 18 is removed.

The modified showerhead shell Aa shown in Fig. 2, difi'ers from theshowerhead shell A shown in Fig. 1 only in respect to the manner inwhich water is passed into the passage 10 of the member Ba of Fig. 2.The member Ba differs from the member B of Fig. l in the omission of theupper inlet ports 15. In effect, the portion above the inlet ports ofFig. l is cut away in Fig. 2. In consequence, the portion 6a of Fig. 2,corresponding generally to the portion 6 of Fig. l, is shorter than theportion 6, and the upper end of the passage 10 of Fig. 2 opens directlyinto the chamber 4. The upper end of the showerhead shell Aa is notexternally threaded as in Fig. 1, but is formed with internal thread-s20 for engagement with the externally threaded end of a water supplypipe which may be of conventional form and is not illustrated. The

member C, best shown in Fig. 3, is usable in Fig. 2 as in Fig. 1.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the movement of the member 6 out ofengagement with the internally threaded portion 5, is normally preventedby a disc or ring-like member 19a which extends beyond the threadedperiphery of the portion 6 and thus is adapted to engage the upper endof the portion 5. In Fig. 2, the ring-like member 19a is normallyanchored to the member 6 by a burrcd portion 21.

As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described differencesbetween the showerhcad structures shown in Figs. 1 and 2 simplify theshowerhead structure and slightly reduces the construction cost of thelatter. Moreover, with a relatively rapid flow of water into the chamber2 through the passage 10, the pressure drop in the showerhead may beslightly reduced, and the water supply rate may be desirable slightlyincreased as may be in some cases.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I haveillustrated and described the best forms of embodiment of my inventionnow known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in the forms of the apparatus disclosed withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appendedclaims and that in some cases certain features of my invention may beused to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a showerhead operative to receive water under pressure at one endand to discharge water at its opposite end, the combination of a hollowbody formed intermediate its ends with an internally threaded portion,an element telescopically mounted in said body and having a centralpassage and an externally threaded portion intermediate its ends and inthreaded engagement with said I internally threaded portion, wherebysaid element may be axially adjusted by rotation relative to said body,said element having at its end adjacent the showerhead outlet a radialdisc portion with its peripheral edge extending into close proximitywith the surrounding peripheral portion H of said body, said body andelement being relatively shaped and proportioned to form an annularchamber for water discharged from said chamber through the space betweenthe peripheral edge of said element and the adjacent wall portion ofsaid body, said element having outlet means for the passage of waterinto said annular chamber from said central passage, and the hollowinterior of said element being adapted to receive water adjacent itsupper end from said inlet and to pass the water so received into saidannular chamber through said central passage and outlet means, and meansmounted in said element for adjustment axially of said element tovariably throttle the outflow of water into said annular chamber throughsaid outlet means.

2. A combination as specified in claim 1, in which the intermediateportion of said hollow body is thickened to increase the axial extent ofsaid annular chamber and the radial extent of the top wall of saidchamber.

3. A combination as specified in claim 1, in which the throttling meansmounted in said element comprises a cylinder axially movable in thecentral passage of said memoer to thereby variably throttle said outletmeans, and in which the lower portion of said central passage isinternally threaded, and in which the adjustment means mounted in saidelement includes an externally threaded portion in threaded engagementwith the internally threaded portion of said central passage.

4. A combination as specified in claim 1, in which means attached tosaid tubular element adjacent the water receiving end of said showerheadis adapted to engage a portion of said hollow body and thereby preventsmovement of said tubular element out of threaded engagement with saidbody.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

